This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for applying protective coverings on a finished disc record, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for placing finished disc records in sleeves, placing the filled sleeves in jackets and disposing the filled jackets in a stack of finished products.
As is well known, as soon as the manufacture of disc records is completed, the finished records must be individually placed in sleeves or envelopes of lightweight material such as paper. The filled sleeves are then arranged in a stack. Subsequent operations require that the filled envelopes be placed in semirigid jackets frequently composed of flexible cardboard. When these operations are performed manually, they are slow, inefficient and, consequently, expensive. Methods and apparatus as for enclosing the records within sleeves and arranging the envelopes within a stack have been developed, but many of these are relatively complex and expensive. Furthermore, it is still required that a certain amount of manual operation be performed in connection with the placing of finished records in sleeves and the stacking of the filled sleeves. U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,356 discloses a method and apparatus for inserting finished disc records into sleeves and subsequently stacking the sleeved records; however, there is no provision for enclosing the sleeved records in jackets, which are necessary for proper protection.
A further difficulty in accomplishing the protection of disc records results from a need for tailor-made equipment associated with each design of record press in order to efficiently and automatically enclose records derived therefrom.
What is needed is a method and apparatus which receives newly finished disc records from a record press and inserts them consecutively in sleeves and jackets and subsequently stores the finished product in a stack. It is also desirable that the apparatus be a part of an integrated record-press system or be used as an attachment in connection with an existing record press.